Volkswagen will unveil the replacement for the Bulli.
Since 1950, Volkswagen has been constructing its renowned Transporter, widely recognized as the "Bulli." Production of the sixth generation has concluded, and regrettably, there won't be a seventh generation. In its place, three distinct model lines will carry forward the Volkswagen legend.
At the commencement of the IAA Transportation trade fair in Hannover, Volkswagen unveiled the new edition of its Transporter. Prior to the fair's official opening, which begins tomorrow for journalists and industry professionals, Volkswagen brand CEO Carsten Intra debuted the "New Transporter," designated to outshine the concluding T6.1.
Intra expressed optimism that the new model will echo the success of its six preceding "Bulli" generations. Unlike its predecessor, the T6.1, which wrapped up production by the end of June, Volkswagen will no longer be responsible for the manufacture of the new Transporter. It was developed in joint collaboration with Ford and will be produced alongside the Ford Transit sibling model at Ford's facility in Turkey. The model is slated for release at the end of 2024 in select European markets, with Germany following early in 2025.
VW proclaims the introduction of the new Transporter signals the culmination of its Transporter family's evolution. Whereas, in the past, the singular "Bulli," manufactured since 1950 across six generations, was the leading model, now, there are three concurrent model lines for the segment. These include the 2022-launched Multivan, founded on a shared passenger car platform with the Golf and Passat, serving as a family and leisure vehicle; the fully electric ID. Buzz; and the recently unveiled Transporter, birthed from the Ford collaboration. The T6.1 predecessor was previously the most popular model for the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles (VWN) brand.
Volkswagen Workers Vent Concerns
In 2020, Ford and Volkswagen forged a comprehensive alliance in light commercial vehicles. The Transporter serves as the second Volkswagen model stemming from the collaboration, subsequent to the Amarok pickup truck. In reciprocation, Volkswagen will manufacture the Ford Tourneo Connect van, which will be produced alongside the Volkswagen sibling model, the Caddy, at the VWN plant in Poznan, Poland.
Volkswagen recently disclosed that it would intensify its cost-cutting program. Layoffs and plant closures are no longer off the table, and the initial 2029 job security commitment has been rescinded. Employees at the VWN plant in Hannover are also apprehensive about their future. The facility maintains a workforce of approximately 14,000.
Despite Volkswagen's collaboration with Ford on the manufacturing of the new Transporter, the company will no longer be responsible for its production. Instead, the model will be produced alongside the Ford Transit sibling at Ford's facility in Turkey.
The Transporter's new production arrangement is part of Volkswagen's broader alliance with Ford in light commercial vehicles. Under this collaboration, Volkswagen will also manufacture the Ford Tourneo Connect van at its plant in Poznan, Poland.
